


Do You Love Me?

by mvernet



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Fiddler On The Roof - Freeform, M/M, Post Series, Pre-Slash, Sentinel Bingo 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 13:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13682217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvernet/pseuds/mvernet
Summary: Things have quieted down for Jim and Blair after five years together. Blair is a detective.  Jim is satisfied with Blair by his side. They are settled and content. After attending the play “Fiddler on The Roof.” Jim has a question for Blair.Sentinel Bingo 2018Slash CardMatchmaker





	Do You Love Me?

Jim sipped his black coffee tentatively, then smacked his lips and nodded. “Simon was right, Chief. Best coffee in town.” He glanced around at the overstimulated crowd at “Sacred Grounds,” a coffee place that Simon had recommended. He smirked and settled his eyes comfortably on his companion of five years. Blair looked even better now than he did when Jim met him all those years ago at his dingy basement office. His detective’s training had added muscle to his form. But Jim was grateful that the sadness that darkened his eyes after Alex, after his disastrous diss, was finally gone. Blair wore his badge with honor and the hardfought letters after his name with pride. Pride that Jim also felt every time he heard someone address him as Doctor Sandburg.

Blair was busy dunking a biscotti into his mocha cappuccino and humming a tune from the play they had just seen, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, performed by the Rainier Drama Club to raise funds for a local homeless shelter. Jim recognized the tune as ‘Matchmaker’.

“You really like those musicals, huh, Chief?” he teased as he peeled a safe looking half & half cup and added it to his plain coffee.

Blair’s mouth was full so he just shrugged and grunted. He swallowed, then answered more eloquently. “Not all musicals. But ‘Fiddler’ is my favorite play. I mean, the story is so… rich in history and well… tradition like Tevye sings. ” Blair lowered and deepened his voice singing, “Tradition… tradition… tradition. At three I started Hebrew school at ten I learned a trade. I hear they picked a bride for me. I hope she’s pretty. The son, the son, Tradition!”

Jim watched his Guide as he sang. His face as expressive as the words. His hands fluttering like birds and tapping time on the table. His eyes brilliant with an inner light. Jim cocked his head and sipped his coffee. He was well aware that Blair was a good looking guy, but tonight, he was simply beautiful. Jim had a hard time earlier keeping his eyes on the stage when he had Blair next to him. Blair positively glowed as he quietly mouthed favorite lines and punched the air along with Tevye as he sang. It was as if Blair had left the stuffy theatre and travelled back in time to live and breath the life represented on stage. Jim felt privileged to be allowed to share the experience with his partner.

Blair shook his head and looked down at his mug shyly. “Sorry. I get carried away.”

“Don’t be, Chief. Tell me why you like it so much.” Jim sat back, knowing he would be entertained for at least the time it took for the barista to come around and ask if he wanted a warmup.

“Oh, man. Where do I start? Did I ever tell you that ‘Fiddler’ is my heritage? Sandburgs come from the same part of Russia as Tevye and his family. They also had to leave in 1905 to come to America, what they gloss over in the play is how many Jews were annihilated in those little communities at that time. ‘Fiddler’ is based on a series of stories by Sholem Aleichem that he wrote in Yiddish between 1894 and 1914 about Jewish life in a village in the Pale Of Settlement of Imperial Russia. The Jews were persecuted by the Tsar.”

Jim put a hand on his heart and imitated the prayer that made him laugh at the theatre. “May God bless and keep the Tsar… far away from us. I should say that prayer for the Feds.”

Blair laughed and Jim indulged himself in enjoying his favorite sound in the world. Blair had a rich chortle and Jim could hear all the notes and vibrations that formed it. To Jim it sounded soothing, fresh and bubbling like a mountain stream after a summer rainstorm.

“That was perfect, Jim.” Blair’s smile and the fleeting touch of his Guide’s hand on his arm literally warmed him. Jim could feel the heat of blood rushing through his body raising his temperature. Blair continued, oblivious to the effect he was having on his partner. 

“The anthropologist in me loves the fact that the play shows clearly how traditions like matchmaking and marrying within your religion are often lost through persecution and war. Or even by being absorbed into a new culture. The kid in me just loves the play. Naomi took me to see it when I was five. We were living in New York at the time and I remember going to this funky theatre in the round. The stage moved and it was set up so that the actors could interact with the audience.” 

Blair took a breather to sip his cappuccino. Jim noticed his blue eyes were a shade darker than normal, focused somewhere in the past.

“Naomi had filled my head with all these stories she knew about her grandfather, a Russian Jew who emigrated with what was left of his family. I got kinda mixed up and I thought we were going to see my Papa. Zero Mostel was playing Tevye and he was dancing down the aisles, goofing around with the audience but staying in character, you know. I stood on my seat reached out for him and called him Papa. Zero grinned and picked me up. Took me up on the stage and danced me around in his arms while singing ‘Tradition’. Naomi told me when I grew up that the audience went wild. They had to pry me off of the poor guy so he could finish the play. I really thought he was my Papa for a long time after that.”

Blair lowered his head and let his hair hide his face for a moment. Then he slowly pushed half his hair behind his ear exposing the gold ring with a tiny replica of a cop’s badge attached that Jim had crafted for him on his graduation from the academy. Blair glanced hesitantly up at Jim. “That’s why it’s my favorite play.”

For some reason he would never be able to explain, right there at ‘Sacred Grounds’ on a normal Friday night, Jim had an epiphany. He knew his search was over. The person he loved best in all the world was across from him nibbling on a pretentious cookie. He leaned in and covered Blair’s hand with his.

“Sandburg?”

“Yes, Jim?”

“Do you love me?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you love me?”

“Do I love you? Jim, is our last case still upsetting you? I know me being stuck in that abandoned well for two days while you searched for me wasn't too much fun for you or me either, but… all’s well that ends well right? Look. If you’re still tired we’ll call it a night. Maybe there is something wrong with the half & half. I can never figure out what it’s half of.”

“Blair. I’m asking you a question… Do you love me?”

“Jim, are you kidding me? This isn’t funny, man.”

“No joke, Sandburg. Do you love me?”

“Do I love you? For five long years I’ve been your Guide. Lived with you. Died with you. For five long years. I watched your back. Kept you grounded. Healed your wounds. After five years why talk about love right now?”

“Blair, the first time I met you. I was so scared.”

“I was too.”

“You saved my life.”

“I found mine.”

“Like two lost brothers, I think we came to need each other. So now I’m asking. Blair. Do you love me?”

“I’m your partner and Guide.”

“Yes, but, do you love me?”

“Do I love him?”

“For five long years I’ve worked with him. Fought with him. Stood with him. For five long years my life is his. If that’s not love what is?”

“Then you love me, Chief?”

“I suppose I do, Jim”

“And I suppose I love you too.”

Jim took the hand under his, lifted it to his lips and kissed it.

“It doesn’t change a thing, but even so, after five long years it’s nice to know, Chief.”


End file.
